Súper Rugby Américas (SRA), formerly known as Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR), is a franchise rugby union competition involving teams from South America. Established in 2019, the first season was begun in 2020, however was cancelled due to issues regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. After efforts by World Rugby (WR),NACE SÚPER RUGBY AMÉRICAS: LA NUEVA COMPETENCIA CONTINENTAL TRAERÁ EL ‘MEJOR RUGBY DE AMÉRICA’Qué es el Súper Rugby Américas, el novedoso torneo que jugará Selknam y que reemplazará a la Superliga Americana de rugby it is organized and led by Sudamérica Rugby, the competition renamed to Súper Rugby Américas beginning in its 2023 season, in order to draw a parallel with the Super Rugby Pacific, a competition made up of franchises from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand.La SLAR que se viene será una nueva liga (Súper Rugby Américas), con equipos de Estados Unidos y Canadá y, casi con seguridad, una nueva franquicia argentina en reemplazo de Cafeteros Pro.
History
Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (2020–2022)
SLAR was first announced in April 2019, with plans of forming between six and eight professional franchises, two each in Uruguay and Brazil, meanwhile Argentina and Chile were to get a franchise each with plans to add two teams in 2021 with an additional team in Argentina and one from Paraguay. In November, SLAR's plans changed to a league of seven clubs, two each in Brazil and Uruguay with one team each in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay. Officially sanctioned by Sudamérica Rugby, which is consequently part of World Rugby, the league was officially launched on November 29, 2019.
At the official announcement, SLAR confirmed the number of the teams for the 2020 season was set at five for the regular season due to the economic issues but SLAR was expected to be expanded at some point in the future, possibly in 2021. Cafeteros Pro (Colombia) joined at the end of the regular season to play a home and away series against the 5th-place finisher in the 2020 season before joining the league full-time.
The tournament could be played without problems in 2021 and 2022. During 2022, there were already ideas to carry out a joint competition between the franchises that contested the SLAR and teams from North America. During the season, the Challenge Cup of the Americas, a friendly rugby cup, was played on an experimental way.
Súper Rugby Américas (since 2023) As it is a competition with franchises, the impact of the SLAR was in doubt. According to South American specialists, the success achieved by the tournament was relative[ https://www.elciudadanoweb.com/a-dias-de-la-presentacion-oficial-de-super-rugby-americas-el-nuevo-nombre-de-la-superliga/ "En sus dos ediciones y media La Superliga Americana no tuvo un éxito rotundo por diferentes razones, pero si generó efectos secundarios"] but after various requests from institutions to join and participate in a larger tournament, World Rugby requested the expansion of the format towards a more ambitious and regional competition.
Once the news was released, Wenceslao Tejerina, High Performance Manager for Chile, announced that they were working on a new tournament."...adelantó que se trabaja la transformación de la Superliga Americana en un nuevo torneo..." After the announcement of the new contest, the Uruguayan Sebastián Piñeyrúa, director of the South American entity, issued the following statement: "Due to the success obtained in the American Rugby Super League in the two full seasons of 2021 and 2022, from South America Rugby, SLAR organizers, we are in the middle of negotiations with national unions in North and Central America, to plan the future growth of Rugby in the continent, for this reason, we are working with all the member unions and franchises participating in SLAR 2022, to plan and develop future competitions, by franchises and international. On October 27, the format will be presented and details of the new professional competition of the Americas will be given".El Ciudadano Web
In this way, after efforts by Sudamérica Rugby and World Rugby, the emergence of Super Rugby Americas was announced in October 2022, a tournament that will also be organized by USA Rugby and Rugby Canada, which will include most of the clubs that competed in SLAR 2022 with the addition of franchises from the United States and Canada.
According to the High Performance Manager of South America Rugby, Daniel Hourcade, the Unión Argentina de Rugby will also incorporate more franchises in the next editions of the new league."...informó que el próximo 27 de octubre se conocerían los detalles de la nueva liga. Una que promete ir más allá de las fronteras de la región y llegar hasta el norte del continente (...) «Estamos trabajando e intentando sumar franquicias del norte y viendo con Argentina para que sume una franquicia el año que viene y otras más los años siguientes"
Format history Period Name Teams Countries 2020 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby(SLAR) 5 Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay 6 Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay Súper Rugby Américas(SRA) 7 Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, United States Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay 8
Competition format In 2020, Superliga Americana de Rugby was to span four months from February through May. For the first season, five of the six clubs Ceibos, Corinthians, Selknam, Olímpia Lions, and PeñarolLa Superliga Americana va tomando forma by Gabriel Sarquis Marca, 29 Dec 2019 planned to take part in a double round-robin regular season, playing twice against each other team, once at home and once away, for a total of eight games.Nace la Superliga Americana, un impulso vital para el rugby regional by Alejo Miranda La Nación, 1 Dec 2019 The top four teams would qualify for the championship playoffs to determine a season champion. The fifth place regular season team would have played a series against Los Cafeteros Pro to determine the fifth-place team. However, on March 17, 2020, the season was postponed until 2021, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like Super Rugby, the Major League Rugby (MLR), and the United Rugby Championship (URC), the Super Rugby Americas has no promotion and relegation.
Teams Current teams
Nat. Team Stadium Location Capacity Ref. Capibaras Jockey Club de Rosario Rosario, Santa Fe Súper Rugby Américas: los estadios de todos los equipos on espn.com.ar. 12 Feb 2025 Cobras Estádio Nicolau Alayon São Paulo, São Paulo state 7,000 Dogos Córdoba A.C. Stadium Córdoba, Córdoba Province 5,000 Pampas Estadio del CASI San Isidro, Buenos Aires Province 4,500 Peñarol Estadio Charrúa Montevideo, Montevideo Department 14,000 Selknam Centro de Alto Rendimiento de Rugby La Reina, Santiago Province 2,900 CARR 2.0: La nueva casa del rugby chileno será la piedra angular de su desarrollo a largo plazo at rugbychile.cl. 9 Aug 2023 Tarucas Tucumán Lawn Tennis Club San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán 10,000 Yacaré Estadio Héroes de Curupayty Luque, Central Department 3,000
Timeline
Expansion teams On 10 November 2020, Colombia formalized professional rugby. The South American nation's first professional rugby team was Cafeteros Pro. The team entered the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) in 2021.
On 6 January 2021, UAR replaced the Córdoba based team Ceibos with the Jaguares XV, following the Jaguares' departure from Super Rugby.
On 4 February 2021, the Brazilian side in the competition was renamed Cobras Brasil XV, dropping their affiliation with the Corinthians multi-sport club.
On 13 December 2022, SLAR confirmed the replacement of Cafeteros Pro, with the reintroduction of Córdoba based team Dogos XV, in the past Ceibos.
On 22 December 2022, Super Rugby Americas confirmed more news; first the return of Argentine Pampas XV in substitution of Jaguares XV, second the participation of American Raptors, third the rebranded of Paraguayan team from Olimpia Lions to Yakarés XV in order to indicate that relationship between the Paraguayan Rugby Union and the soccer team Club Olimpia is ended.
On 1 October 2024, it was confirmed that Tarucas will be joining in 2025 as the third Argentine franchise, based in Tucumán, and representing Northwest Argentina in order to replace American Raptors.Súper Rugby Américas: Tarucas, la nueva franquicia del rugby argentino On 29 September 2025, it was confiremed a new expansion to 8th team with Argentine franchise Capibaras XV from Rosario, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos provinces.
Expansion candidates At the initial announcement, Brazil and Uruguay were originally slated to have two teams each, but instead one team each (Corinthians and Peñarol) went on to play in the 2020 season, meaning it may be possible for the two countries to expand in the future (Club Nacional de Football was hinted at as a possibility in Uruguay) besides a possible Mexican team or a second Chilean team. With the possible change of Super Rugby to a Trans-Tasman (Australasian) competition, Argentina could add a second team, the Jaguares, based in Buenos Aires, in 2021. In November 2020, another new team was proposed for 2021, with Sudamérica Rugby officially expressing interest in the inclusion of a second Argentine Buenos Aires–based team in the 2021 SLAR.Sudamérica Rugby has expressed interest in including Los Jaguares in the 2021 SLAR competition However, a second Argentine team did not play in 2021 and most Argentine players would leave the team either for overseas, or to enter the draft for the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season. In October 2022, it was confirmed that the Argentine team Tucumán would replace the Colombian team Cafeteros Pro and that two North American franchises, the Canadian Pacific Pride and U.S. American Raptors, were going to participate in this new tournament renamed Super Rugby Americas. In June 2023, after losing its bid for 2022, Tucumán, plus Salta and Santiago del Estero, renewed their request to enter the tournament in order to have 3 Argentine franchises in the future. Los Naranjas could be a new team in Super Rugby Americas 2025. A Mexican franchise could also be considered for the future. A hypothetical fourth Argentine Franchise, named Litoral, a combination of following Unions regional Entre Rios, Rosario and Santa Fe is expected to enter in the tournament for the 2026 season.
Former teams Team City Stadium Joined Left Ceibos Córdoba Tala Rugby Club Stadium 2020 2021 Jaguares XV Buenos Aires José Amalfitani 2021 2022 Corinthians São Paulo (none) 2020 2021 Cafeteros Pro Medellín (none) 2020 2022 Olímpia Lions Asunción Héroes de Curupayty 2020 2022 American Raptors Glendale, CO Infinity Park 2023 2024 Notes
Seasons Results Ed. Year Final Venue City Winner Score Runner-up 1 2020 colspan=5 2 2021Jaguares XV 36–28 Peñarol Estadio Charrúa Montevideo 3 2022Peñarol 24–13Selknam Estadio Charrúa Montevideo 4 2023 Peñarol 23–17 Dogos Estadio Charrúa Montevideo 5 2024Dogos 37–23 Pampas Estadio del CASI San Isidro 6 2025 Peñarol 35–34 Dogos Estadio Charrúa Montevideo 7 2026 Pampas 26–17 Dogos Córdoba Athletic Club Córdoba
Results summary Team Champion Runner-up Semi-finalist Peñarol 3 (2022, 2023, 2025) 1 (2021) 1 (2024) Dogos 1 (2024) 3 (2023, 2025, 2026) Jaguares XV1 (2021) 1 (2022) Pampas 1 (2026) 1 (2024) 2 (2023, 2025) Selknam 1 (2022)2 (2021, 2025) Yacare 3 (2021, 2023, 2024) Cafeteros Pro 1 (2022) Capibaras XV 1 (2026) Tarucas 1 (2026)
Results summary by nation Region Champion Runner-up Semi-finalist Argentina 3 (2021, 2024, 2026) 3 (2023, 2024, 2025) 3 (2022, 2023, 2025) Uruguay 3 (2022, 2023, 2025) 1 (2021) 1 (2024) Chile 1 (2022)2 (2021, 2025) Paraguay 3 (2021, 2023, 2024) Colombia 1 (2022)
See also South American Rugby Championship Americas Rugby Championship Major League Rugby Super Rugby United Rugby Championship
References
External links